Apparatus for producing a programme for controlling a knitting machine



A. CORBAZ Oct. 23, 1962 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A PROGRAMME FORCONTROLLING A KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1961 INVEN TOR 8 An dreCqrbaz C964 6% ATTORNEY 3,059,343 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A PROGRAMMEFOR CONTRULLING A KNITTING MACHINE Andr Corbaz, 17 Rte. de Drize,Carouge, Geneva, Switzerland Filed Feb. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 89,291 Claimspriority, application Switzerland Feb. 15, 1960 7 Claims. (Cl. 23458)The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a programmeintended to control the selection of the needles of an automaticcircular or flat knitting machine comprising a number of knittingstations for producing patterned knitwear.

With automatic knitting machines as at present known it is possible toobtain knitwear having multi-coloured or relief patterns by repetitionof an elemental pattern or design. The selection of the needles in suchmachines is controlled by programmes which are pre-set in accordancewith the pattern which it is desired to reproduce. These programmes,which generally consist of metal drums or films, travel past theknitting stations of the machine and control needle-selecting systems,either through storage devices or directly, depending upon whether themachine comprises such storage devices.

In machines of the first type, the storage device generally consists ofa wheel called a pattern wheel provided at each knitting station andsimultaneously performing the functions of reading the informationcontained in the programme, of the storage device intended to store suchinformation, and of selecting the knitting needles. The pattern wheelmust therefore store the information affecting the entire width of theelemental design and ensure that it is repeated throughout the Width ofthe knitted article.

It is obvious that the capacity of such a wheel, which is determined bythe number of reading and selecting elements disposed along itsperiphery, is limited in practice and that consequently the same is thecase with the Width of the elemental pattern which it is desired toreproduce.

The same is the case with regard to the length of the design, whichdepends upon the capacity of the pro gramme. Since the metal film mustsupply a force for controlling the selectors, its mechanical strengthmust be sufiiciently high, whereby its overall dimensions are ob viouslyincreased. On the other hand, the perforations in such a film must besufficiently large to permit the passage of the mechanical feelermembers, which also increases the length of the film for a given numberof items of information. Thus, with a programme film of reasonabledimensions, the length of the elemental pattern remains very limited.

This disadvantage of machines comprising pattern Wheels, residing in thelimitation of the dimensions of the elemental design which they canreproduce, is not obviated in machines of the second type, in which theselection of the needles is directly controlled by the programme film.In this case, since the length of such a film is a function of thenumber of stitches in a row and of the number of rows in the height ofthe design, the reproduction of large designs would necessitate films ordrums of very large overall dimensions, the use of which on the machineswould be complicated and diflicult.

It is obvious that this limitation in regard to the dimensions of theelemental pattern constitutes a considerable disadvantage in existingmachines, and it is for this reason that the present development in thefield of circular knitting machines is directed towards producingmachines with which it is possible to obtain knitted articles composedof elemental patterns whose dimensions are not limited and can be variedat will.

States Patent t 3,059,843 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 On the other hand, themethod of producing a programme consisting of a metal film or chain issomewhat complicated and involves a number of separate operations whichmust be carried out by skilled operatives, whereby this method isrendered fairly costly.

The invention has for its object to provide for the production ofprogrammes capable of controlling the selection of the needles in suchmachines, and to simplify the production at present known. The apparatusherein employed is characterized by the fact that items of informationintended for the knitting stations which are to knit one row of stitchesare transmitted by means of electric pulses to a group of switches Whosenumber is equal to the number of such knitting stations, the number ofswitching positions of each of the switches corresponding to the numberof groups of stations which knit one row, and in that the said pulsesare directed to a recording and reproducing device which is capable ofstoring the items of information arriving successively for each group ofstations which are to knit one row, of storing them until the items ofinformation concerning all the groups have arrived, and of thereaftersimultaneously re-transmitting them to a mechanism intended to write theprogramme on a support in such manner as to obtain an information trackfor each of the knitting stations.

The apparatus of the invention is characterized by the fact that itcomprises pulse producing means having a key board including at leasttwo keys, each of which is intended to actuate a member controlling apulse output channel and electric pulses in that channel correspondingto a particular item of information, which member is connected through aswitch to at least one group of switches whose number is equal to thenumber of knitting stations which have to knit one row of stitches inthe knitted article, each of the switches of one group having a numberof switching positions which corresponds to the number of such groups ofknitting stations and being connected to a recording and reproducingdevice which is in turn connected to a mechanism for writing theprogramme on a support, so as to obtain an information track for each ofthe knitting stations.

One constructional form of the installation according to the inventionis diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing.

It is to be noted that, for the purpose of avoiding the repetition ofidentical members and circuits which may be included in such aninstallation and of which the number determines the capacity of theprogrammes which can be produced by such an installation, only theminimum necessary for an understanding has been illustrated in thedrawing. Thus, the number of different colours or reliefs which 'may beincluded in an elemental pattern of the knitted article obtained bymeans of a programme which can be produced with the illustratedinstallation is limited to three.

The installation comprises a keyboard 1 having three keys 2 to 4, whichare intended to actuate electric contacts, 5 to 7 respectively, in pulseoutput channels to twoposition switches 8 to 10 respectively. The latterare a anged to be simultaneously controlled (as indicated by chainlines) and are intended to connect the cont-acts 5 to 7 to two groups ofselector switches, comprising respectively two switches 11 and 12 andthree switches 13 to 15. All of these selector switches 11 to 15- aresimultaneously controlled by an electric motor 16 driven by adirect-voltage source 17 by way of a switch 18.

The number of switching positions in the selector switches 11 and '12and 13 to 15 respectively will depend upon the number of knittingstations to be controlled by the programme which is to be produced bythe installation. If this number of knitting stations is, for example,twenty-four, the selector switches 11 and 12 will each comprise twelveswitching positions and the selector switches 13 to 15 eight positionseach. These various switching positions of the switches 11 and 12 and 13to 15 respectively provide connection to a recording and reproducingdevice, in the present instance to a magnetic recorder E comprising anumber of pulse receiving channels including magnetic heads capable ofoperating as recording and reproducing heads, equal to the number ofrecording channels or tracks which the programme is to comprise, andtherefore to the number of knitting stations which the latter is tocontrol, for example twentyfour. Of these twenty-four heads, only thethree heads 19 to 21 are illustrated in the drawing, this beingsufiicient for an understanding. Each of these heads is connectedthrough a switch 22 to 24- respectively, on the one hand to one of theswitches of each of the two groups 11, 12 and 13 to 15, and on the otherhand to an electromagnet 25 to 27 respectively, which is intended tocontrol a punching device 28 to 30 respectively.

The recorder E comprises in addition a magnetic tape 31 driven by adriving system diagrammatically represented by two cylinders 32 and 33,a shaft 34 and a motor 35. The latter may be connected throughcontactors 36 and 37 and 36 and 38 respectively to a direct-voltagesource 39.

The triple-pole contactor 38 is controlled by a relay 40 connected inseries with the keyboard 1 and the source 39. It connects the latteralso to a pre-selection counter 41 controlling the switch 18 and to afurther magnetic head 42 provided in the recorder E. The head 42 is alsoconnected through a switch 43 to a pre-selection counter 44 which is inturn connected to a direct-voltage source 45. The counter 44 is intendedto control the bipolar contactor 36, the other pole of which isconnected through a switch 46 and a direct-voltage source 47 to a motor48. The latter is intended to drive through an intermittent drivingmechanism (not shown) the support 49 on which the programme is to bewritten.

The switches 22, 23, 24 and 43 of the magnetic heads, and the switches37 and 46 are adapted to the simultaneously actuated (as indicated bychain lines).

It will be obvious that the installation described and illustrated willcomprise other members which are generally employed in installations ofthis nature, such as amplifiers, signal-shaping circuits, phase-shiftingdevices and the like. Since these members are not essential to anunderstanding of the invention or of the principle of the operation ofthe installation, they have not been illustrated or described.

The production of a programme by means of the installation described andillustrated takes place in the following manner:

The operator will choose the position of the switches 8 to 10 (8a, 9a,1011, or 8b, 9b, 11012) in accordance with the number of colours or inaccordance with the number of different reliefs of the elemental patternwhich is to be reproduced in the knitted article. These switches are inoutput channels through which items of information concerning a row ofstitches to be knitted will be sent in the form of electric pulses tothe recording device. Thus, in the case of a two-colour pattern, theswitches 8 to 10 will be disposed in the position illustrated in thedrawing (8a, 9a, 10a). It will thus be seen that only the contacts and 6controlled by the keys 2 and 3 respectively are connected to therecorder E, which is effected by way of the two selector switches 11 and12. On the other hand, when items of information concerning athree-colour pattern are to be transmitted, the switches 8 to will bedisposed in their other position (8b, '91), 10b), whereby it will bepossible for the three contacts 5 to 7 to be connected to the recorder Bthrough the three selector switches 13 to 15.

Thus, it will be assumed that a two-colour pattern is concerned and thatthe switches 8 to 10 are in the position illustrated in the drawing. Allthe other switches and contactors also occupy the position illustratedin the drawing. The operator will therefore follow the first line of thestandard pattern, point-by-point (one point corresponding to one stitchof the knitted article), by depressing either one of the two keys 2 and3, depending upon which of the two colours is concerned.

Depression of the key 2 results in closing of the contacts 5 andconsequently of the circuit 5-8-8a-1i1- 11a2219-ground-394tB-5. A pulsewill therefore be sent from the source 3'9 into the head 19 and recordedon the tape 31. Since the relay 4d has closed the triple-pole contactor38, the source 39 will also be connected to the counter 4-1, to the head42 and to the motor 35, which will result, respectively, in the countingof the recorded pulse, the recording of a signal on a special track ofthe recorder E and the rotation of the shaft 34 through a predeterminedangle and therefore the advance of the tape 31.

Depression of the key 3 will result in the sending of a pulse into thehead 20 via 69-9a 12-12a-23. which pulse will also be recorded on thetape 31, but on another track. The counter -41 will therefore count afurther pulse, the head 42, will record a further signal on the samespecial track and the motor will advance the tape 31.

When the items of information for all the points of a line of thepattern have been transmitted and recorded, the counter 41, which hasbeen adjusted at the outset to the number of points of the line, willproduce the closing of the switch 18 and consequently the driving of themotor 116 through an angle necessary for bringing the switches '11 and12 into the position 11b, 12b. It will readily be seen that the contact5 will then be connected to the head 24 and the contact 6 to asucceeding head not shown. Thus, each change of position of the switches11 and 12 will permit the recording of the items of informationconcerning a further line and intended to control two other knittingstations. The number of lines which Will be recorded will therefore beequal to the number of magnetic heads (number of knitting stations)divided by the number of colours, in the present instance twelve.

In order to assist the operator in observing the recorded lines, therecould be provided an indicating system, for example a luminous oracoustic signal, or a signal for locking the keys similar to thatemployed for the end of a line in typewriters. Such a system could becontrolled, for example, by the last position of the switches 11 and 12and 13 to 15 respectively.

It is to be noted that the length of the loop formed by the tape 31 isadapted to the number of points comprised in a line of the standardpattern (elemental pattern to be repeated in the knitted article). Thisnumber of loops corresponds to the number of items of informationtransmitted by the active keys, in the present instance 2 and 3, andrecorded by two heads on two tracks. The number of signals recorded on asingle track by the head 42 will therefore be equal to the number ofpoints of a line.

When the recording of the items of information for all the knittingstations has been completed, the operator will devote his attention tothe writing of the programme on the support 49. For this purpose, hewill place the switches of the magnetic heads 22, 23, 24 and 43 in thereproducing (reading) position. The switches 37 and 46 will also bedisposed in their other position. The motors 35 and 48 will therefore bestarted and will drive the tape 31 and the support 49 respectively. Theitems of information read by the magnetic heads will be transmitted inthe form of pulses to the electromagnets 25, 26 which will act on thepunching devices 28, 29 so that the latter punch the support 49 and thuswrite the programme.

The writing of the programme will continue, by cyclic repetition of theitems of information recorded on the tape 31, until the pre-selectioncounter ,44 causes the double contactor 36 to open. This will happenwhen the number of s als recorded on the tape 31 by means of the head 42nd thereafter cyclically read back by the latter and transmitted to thecounter 44 reaches the number to which the latter has been adjusted,namely the number of stitches which the knitted article is to compriseover its entire width.

When the writing of the programme corresponding to the recorded items ofinformation has been completed, the operator will reset the installationto the recording position and, after erasure, will recommence the recording of a further series of items of information concerning succeedinglines, and so on until the reading of the pattern is complete.

The programme thus consisting of the punched sup port 49 will compriseall the items of information necessary for obtaining a knitted articlehaving the desired pattern. It will also comprise the items ofinformation concerning the repetitions of the pattern in the directionof the width of the knitted article. The machine which it is to controlneed not be provided with storage devices, which limit the width of theelemental pattern, as hereinbefore stated. On the other hand, since themethod of reading the programme may be such that it has not to supplyany 'force, its mechanical strength may be very low. The support'may bevery thin and may consist of a very flexible material from which verygreat lengths of tape may be obtainedwhich take up very little space.The dimensions of the perforations may also be small, so that it ispossible to reduce the length and the width of the tape for a givennumber of items of information. Consequently, the length of theelemental pattern is not too limited.

The installation hereinbefore described for the production of aprogramme is extremely simple to use, and it can readily be used by anunskilled person. It is merely necessary to read the patternpoint-by-point by following one line and to actuate the keys of thekeyboard in accordance with the colour of the represented stitches. Whenthe recording is complete, it is suflicient to change over the recorderfrom the record position to the reproduce position. Everything elsetakes place automat-ically.

It is to be noted that the operator can ascertain at any instant whatpoint of the line of the pattern he has reached by reading the numberindicated on the pre-selection counter 41, which number corresponds tothe number of items of information recorded. The counter 41 isautomatically re-set at each line change. The counter 44 is re-set ateach change of the recorder from reproduce position to the recordposition.

If it is desired to keep a check on the items of information recorded inthe form of a copy of the standard pattern, the installation couldcomprise a device controlled by the keys of the keyboard simultaneouslywith the electric pulses. This device could be, for example, a form ofmechanical or electric typewriter comprising only one character and onemulti-colour ribbon.

It will be obvious that the invention is not limited to theconstructional form of the installation illustrated and described. Thus,for example, if it is desired to avoid theelectric contacts in thekeyboard, this circuit make and break means could be replaced in anotherconstructional form of the installation by photo-electric means. Thekeys of the keyboard could control light beams acting onphoto-transistors. The same is the case with regard to the magneticrecorder and the programme writing mechanism. Both of them could bereplaced, for example, by optical devices.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing a programme to control the selection ofthe needles of an automatic knitting machine providing a plurality ofknitting stations, said apparatus comprising electric pulse producingmeans hav- 6 ing selectively operable keys and output channelscorresponding to the keys for feeding pulses produced through operationof the keys, pulse counting means operably connected with a group ofsaid keys for counting up to a predetermined number the pulses producedby said pulse producing means in response to operation of any of thekeys of said group of keys; pulse recording and reproducing meansselectively operable to record and reproduce pulses and having pulsereceiving and recording channels corresponding in number to the numberof the knitting stations'of the machine; selector.

switches in the pulse output channels of said group of keys,saidselector switches corresponding in number to the number of knittingstations which as a group are to knit a corresponding one row ofstitches, in the knitted article, and each of said selector switcheshaving a plurality of switching positions corresponding in number to thenumber of groups of stations, of which each group of stations is to knita corresponding one row of stitches, in the knitted article, saidselector switches collectively having output connection with acorresponding group of said pulse receiving and recording channels andbeing operable in response to count of said predetermined number ofpulses by said pulse counting means so as to connect a difierent groupof said pulse reeciving and recording channels with said outputchannels'of said group of keys when said pulse recording and reproducingmeans is being operated as a recorder of the pulses of said pulseproducing means; a programme support having an information track foreach of the knitting stations; and pulse operated means associated withsaid programme support and responsive to pulse reproducing operation ofsaid pulse recording and reproducing means, so as to compose, from thepulse reproduced, a programme on said support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pulse producing meansincludes, for each key of said group of keys, circuit make and breakmeans responsive to operation of the key to open and close said outputchannel, corresponding to the key, relative to a source of electricalsupply.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic recorder of saidpulse recording and reproducing means includes a plural track recordingcomponent and a number of magnetic heads corresponding in numberrespectively to the tracks of said recording component and to the numberof knitting stations of the knitting machine, said switches beingconnected in pulse feeding relation to diiierent ones of said heads forsaid pulse recording and reproducing means to make a record of thepulses of said pulse producing means along said tracks of the recordingcomponent, and said magnetic heads being pulse reproducing heads whensaid recording and reproducing means is in pulse reproducing operation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said pulse operated meanscomprises electromagnets, each of which is connected to a correspondingone of said heads of the recording and reproducing means, and saidelectromagnets control punches which punch the support and thus producethe programme.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plural track recordingcomponent is in driven connection with an electric motor and saidmagnetic recorder of said pulse recording and reproducing means includesa supplemental magnetic head associated with a corresponding additionaltrack of said plural track recording component, and said motor andsupplemental magnet head receive a pulse, in response to any of the keysof said group of keys being operated, the pulse received by the motordriving said motor and said plural track recording component, and thepulse received by said supplemental magnetic head being recorded on saidadditional track.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said supplemental magnetichead and additional track reproduce the pulses recorded on the lattertrack when said recording and reproducing means is operated 'by saidmotor as a pulse reproducer, and said supplemental magnetic head isconnected to a pre-selection counter which counts the pulses reproducedby the supplemental head for said motor to be stopped when the number ofpulses reproduced by said supplemental head reaches a predeterminednumber.

7. An apparatus for producing a programme to control the selection ofthe needles of an automatic knitting machine providing a plurality ofknitting stations, said apparatus comprising electric pulse producingmeans having selectively operable keys and output channels correspondingto the keys for feeding pulses produced through operation of the keys,pulse counting means opera'bly connected with said keys for counting upto a predetermined number the pulses produced by said pulse producingmeans in response to operation of any of said keys; pulse recording andreproducing means selectively operable to record and reproduce pulsesand having pulse receiving and recording channels corresponding innumber to the number of the knitting stations of the machine; first andsecond groups of selector switches selectively connected in the pulseoutput channels of first and second numbers of said keys, said selectorswitches of said first and second groups respectively corresponding innumber to different first and second numbers of knitting stations whichas a group are to knit a corresponding one row of stitches, in theknitted article, and the number of switching positions of the selectorswitches in said first and second groups of switches being different andcorresponding to the number of groups of stations, of which eachgroup-of stations is to knit a corresponding one row of stitches, in theknitted article, said selector switches of the selected group of saidswitches having output connection with a corresponding number of saidpulse receiving and recording channels and said switches in the selectedgroup of said switches being operable in response to count of saidpredetermined number of pulses by said pulse counting means so as toconnect a further like corresponding number of said pulse receiving andrecording channels with said pulse producing means when said pulserecording and reproducing means is being operated as a recorder of thepulses of said pulse producing means; a programme support having aninformation track for each of the knitting stations; and pulse operatedmeans associated with said programme support and responsive to pulserepr0- ducing operation of said pulse recording and reproducing means,so as to compose, from the pulses reproduced, a programme on saidsupport.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS332,419 Munson Dec. 15, 1885 1,293,356 Dam-m Feb. 4, 1919 2,552,942Dalle May 15, 1951 2,845,096 Pasquet July 29, 1958

